Sources: Sheep experiment station closing

Local News 8 has learned the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station just north of Dubois could soon be closing.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website, the station — which studies sheep breeds — is the second largest employer in Clark County.

County leaders say its closure means the loss of 21 jobs. They say the news is a major blow to an agricultural community already strapped for jobs.

“We’re losing ranches and they’re being consolidated and there’s less jobs on the ranches and we lost our — the potato plant that we’ve had — the processing plant,” said Clark County Commissioner Bill Frederiksen. “We’re just continually losing employment.”

The USDA has not confirmed the news, but several Dubois and Clark County officials did.

Local News 8 spoke to several sheep station employees who said they were being assigned to other USDA positions elsewhere in the country.